Weed-cutter.



A. TAYLOR.

WEED CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 6, 1911.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Etna- L- A. TAYLOR.

WEED CUTTER.

APPLICATION TILED D30. 6, 1911. 1,054,256, Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT, OFFICE.

ABRAM TAYLOR, OF ELTOPIA, WASHINGTON.

WEED-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.'25,1913.

Application filed December 8, 1911. Serial No. 864,248.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABnAM'TAr'Lon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eltopia, in the county of Franklin and 5 State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Weed-Cutters, of which the followm is a specification, reference being bad to t e accom anying drawinlgs.

T is invention re ates to a r1cultural apparatus and more particulary to a device for cutting weeds and the like and has for its object to provide a device of this kind, which can be readily and cheaply manufactured and have all its parts readily accessible for inspection and repair.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying-drawings formmg a part of this application, Figure 1 represents a plan view of a machine embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of Fi .1. Fig. 3 is.a sectional elevation taken a ong the line.33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view showin the means for vertically adjusting the ife wheel of the machine. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the knifewheels. Fig. 6 is a detail of the means for laterally adjusting the knife-wheels of this machine.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 and 1' indicate a pair of cross beams arranged at right angles to each other and suitably connected at their intermediate portions to form the body portion of the machine. A cross beam 2 is attached to one end of the beam 1 and is supported by the wheels 3 through the intermediate journal members 4. A pair of holders 5 are arranged upon opposite sides of the beam 1 and are pivotally held in parallel relation with the beam. 1' by means of the plates 6. Having their upper ends rotatably mounted in the holders 5 are the upright shafts 7 which are adapted to support a pair of wheels 8, preferably secured to their central hub 9 by means of the radially disposed inclined brace members 10. Suitable holes are formed in the wheel members 8 for the purpose of properly securing the knives 12 thereto. The knife carrying wheels are arranged so as to cut the weeds close to the ground.

In order to adjust the osition of the knives, the shafts 7 are suit-a ly threaded so that they can be adjusted close to or away from the ground b which are threads on the up rends of the shafts 7 adapted to rotate 1n the holders 5, said nuts bein provided with the annular flanges 20 wh1ch rest upon the upper faces of the holders 5 to hold the nuts 19 and the shafts 7 in their relative positions. After the shafts have been adjusted sufliciently, they are locked in place by any suitable means, as for instance by cotter pins which are shown by way of example inthe drawings. Suitable wheels 13 are rovided at the front portion of the ma ine in order to support the same, and are suitably secured thereto by means of the journal members 14. A pair of pulleys'15 are mounted on the shafts 7 in order to transmit power from a power shaft 16 which is rotatably mounted in the central portion of the body and which is actuated in an suitable manner by means of the motor 1 The numeral 17 indicates a suitable fly wheel for the motor, and also provides means for readily turning the knife wheels by hand whenever the same is desired.

Suitable pulleys 18 are mounted upon the lower end of the shaft 16 and by means of suitable belting transmits power to the pulleys 15 which are mounted upon the upright shafts 7.

The braces 7 are pivotally secured at one of their ends to the beam 1 by bolts and their other ends are loosely Wrapped around the shaft 7 so that the latter may be freely rotated therein, but at the same time Wlll be securely braced thereby. It will be readily apparent that by having the plates 6 pivotally secured to the holders 5, it will enable the latter to be moved laterally for any purpose whatever. The holders 5 may be quickly and easily adjusted by means of the slotted straps and clamping nuts 21. In case suitable adjustment is required of the holders 5, it will be necessary to increase or decrease the length of the belt or other transmission means on the pulleys 15 and 18, the amount to suit the conditions to be provided for. The inner end portions of the holders 5 are rabbeted in order toperm'it a brace of wood or other suitable means to be placed thereon and serve for the purpose means of the nuts 19' of removing a portion of the strain from the adjusting braces 21 in case the same becomes desirable or necessary.

It will be understood that the pulleys 18 are attached to the shaft 16 by means of suitable keys which will permit the pulleys to adjust themselves to the positions in which the pulleys 15 are moved when the knife wheels are vertically adjusted.

From the above it will be readily apparent that the knife wheels can be quickly and easily adjusted vertically or laterally, thereby making the knives cut in a suitable man-. ner for any of the conditionsarising, and this adjustment can be made'by an ordinary mechanic and with com arative ease. It will be readily understoo that by the turning movement of the nuts 19, the shafts 7 will be vertically adjusted so that the knife wheels 8 may be raised or lowered to any desired height. It will also be seen that the knife wheels 8 can be quickly and readily adjusted laterally by means of the adjustment brace 21.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention it will be obviousthat various changes in the details of construction and in the proportions may be resorted to for successfully carrying my invention into practice without sacrificing any of the novel features or departing from the scope thereof.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of cross beams arranged at right angles to each other and suitably connected at their intermediate portions, holders disposed upon opposite sldes of one of said beams and pivotally suspended in parallel relation with the other of said beams, means for laterally adjusting said holders,

upright shafts having their ends 'rotatably mounted in said holders, nuts threaded upon the up er ends of said shafts and mounted in sal holders whereby the shafts may be adjusted vertically, flanges formed on said nuts and bearing a ainst the upper faces of the holders to hold 'said shafts in position wheels mounted upon the lower ends of sai shafts, radially arranged knives secured to said wheels, and means for rotating said shaftsto impart motion to the wheels.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of cross beams arranged at right angles to each other and suitably connected at their intermediate portions, holders disposed u on opposite sides of one of said beams an pivotally suspended in parallel relation with the other of said beams, means for laterally adjusting said holders, upright shafts havin their upper ends rotatably and adjusta ly mounted in said holders, horizontally disposed wheels mounted upon the lower ends of said shafts, radially arranged cutting knives carried by said -wheels, pulleys mounted upon said shafts, a vertically disposed power shaft mounted in the intermediate portions of the cross beams, spaced pulleys mounted upon the lower end of said power shaft, and means connecting the pulleys on the lower end of the power "shaft with the pulleys mounted upon the first mentioned shafts to impart motion thereto and rotating said 75 wheels.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ABRAM TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

J. E. DRUEN, W. C. BANNERMAN. 

